Are you looking for interesting facts about pizza in Italy? 

There’s always something new to learn about what you love! And pizza, oh the pizza is something we really love! So, what facts about pizza do you already know? Let’s see if we can add some more information to what you’ve already had! 

The word pizza is (at the very least) 1000 years old

One of the most interesting facts about pizza in Italy is the written word pizza!The first written attestation of the word pizza dates back to 997 AD. It comes from the Latin pinsa, past participle of the verb pinsare, which means “to flatten out” and likely refers to the shape of pizza itself.

The first pizzeria was in Naples

Indeed, the oldest pizza place in the world opened in 1738 in Naples and it’s still up and running. Pizzeria Port’Alba started as a stand for peddlers but then, in 1830, it turned into a full-fledged pizza restaurant. Among its most famous customers Gabriele d’Annunzio, Ferdinand of Bourbon, Francesco Crispi and Benedetto Croce.

The oldest type of pizza is pizza Marinara

Among tomato-based pizzas, Marinara is the oldest of them all, as it was created in 1734. Simple and wholesome, it was topped — and still is today — with tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil.

And it was called “marinara” because it was a favorite among fishermen!

Pizza Margherita is named after Italy’s first queen 

Because Vittorio Emanuele II was already a widower when he became the first king of unified Italy, it was his son’s wife, Margherita di Savoia, to be the country’s first queen.

The story says that in 1889, while in Naples, a famous pizzaiolo called Raffaele Esposito offered three varieties of pizza to the queen, who expressed her preference for the one topped with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, to symbolize the colors of the Italian flag. Thus the name pizza Margherita.

To be honest, many believe the story was a ploy to attract business to Esposito’s restaurant, but it really doesn’t matter: this is a case where legend has become more real than reality.

America’s first pizza parlor is still open

The first pizzeria in the US opened in 1905 in New York City. A mere 16 years after the invention of pizza Margherita, Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi opened his own pizza parlor, Lombardi’s, and it became an immediate hit. Lombardi’s is still open today.

Americans are the biggest pizza eaters (is it true?)

With their 23 pounds per capita each year, Americans are the biggest pizza lovers in the world. Your favorite? Pepperoni, of course!

… and Italians gets the silver medal

With their 16 pounds each every year, Italians reach second place in the list of people eating the most pizza. Might be one of the most interesting facts about pizza in Italy, that Italians aren’t actually the ones who eat the most pizza. They are just the second!

Sunday is the best day to order pizza

Sunday is the best day to eat pizza. According to research, Sundays are the day of the week people enjoy pizza the most. This is one of the most interesting facts about pizza in Italy, and it is really true. Italians as well, go to eat pizza mostly on Sunday nights.

The last (but not least) of the interesting facts about pizza!

Pizza is a word that is the same all over Earth! From Antarctica to Greenland, from California to China the word Pizza has the same meaning!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and you’re ready to order a pizza right away!